Tobacco rod producing apparatus



May 12, 1970 w. RICHTER 3,511,709

' TOBACCO ROD PRODUCING APPARATUS I Original Filed Nov. 16, 1959 s SheetS-Sheet 1 May 12, 1970 w. RICHTER 3,511,709

TOBACCO ROD PRODUCING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. r

INVENTOR.

May 12, 1970 w. RICHTER 3,511,709

TOBACCO ROD PRODUCING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.6 Fig.8

May 12, 1970 w. RICHTER 3,511,709

TOBACCO ROD PRODUCING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 4.

Fig. 9

May 12, 1970 w. RICHTER 3, ,70

TOBACCO ROD PRODUCING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Surplusin a tobacco stream which is conveyed in the groove of a suctionconveyor is trimmed off in a plurality of stages. The resulting fillerrod is transferred onto a further conveyor and is wrapped into cigarettepaper. The tobacco stream in the groove of the suction conveyor iscompacted by stationary or rotary mechanical compacting means.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a division of myapplication Ser. No. 112,076, filed May 23, 1961, now Pat. No.3,316,917, granted May 2, 1967. Said application Ser. No. 112,076 is adivision of Ser. No. 853,273, filed Nov. 16, 1959 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to themanufacture of tobacco-containing products, and more particularly to themanufacture of cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles wherein a tubularwrapper surrounds a filler of tobaccocontaining material. Still moreparticularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus forproducing a tobacco rod of uniform cross section and, if desired, ofuniform density.

Presently known methods and apparatus for the production of wrappedtobacco rods are not entirely satisfactory because the density of thetobacco rod is not constant along its entire length. The difiicultiesare due less to the organic nature of tobacco and to its often varyingphysical properties than to the nature of treatmentto which the tobaccois subjected in conventional cigarette making machines. During eachtransfer from conveyor to conveyor, the tobacco is subjected totreatment which interferes with the formation of a stream having thedesired structure. In some instances, the transfer from conveyor toconveyor can adversely affect the coherence between the particles of thestream which has been formed on the preceding conveyor. For example,when a tobacco fleece is removed from a carding roller, the fibers maybe torn apart to such an extent that the structure of the stream isaltered considerably or the fleece-like form is destroyed before thestream reaches the rod forming parts of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention toprovide an apparatus which can separate a continuous stream of tobaccofrom a tobacco mass which travels in an endless path and converts thethus separated continuous stream into a tobacco rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tobacco rod formingapparatus wherein the conversion of Claims Patented May 12, 1970 atobacco stream into a rod of desired cross section is carried out in aplurality of stages.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus wherein thetobacco is subjected to requisite compression prior to formation of therod.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a tobacco rodforming apparatus wherein the removal of surplus tobacco from a tobaccostream takes place in plural steps.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide very simple andefiicient trimmers for use in an apparatus of the above outlinedcharacteristics.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theimproved tobacco rod producing apparatus itself, however, both as to itsconstruction and its mode of operation, together with additionalfeatures and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal ofthe following detaileddescription of certain specific embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevationalview of an apparatus which embodies one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view as seen inthe direction of arrows from the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a second apparatus;

'FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a third apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section as seen in thedirection of arrows from the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. '6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 2but further showing a rotary mechanical compacting member for tobacco inthe groove of the first conveyor means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of another apparatus wherein therotary compacting member of FIG. 6 is replaced with a stationarycompacting member;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a further apparatus whichutilizes two trimmers, the second of the trimmers being shown in theprocess of removing the remainder of tobacco surplus from the groove ofthe first conveyor means;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section as seen in the direction arrows from theline IXIX of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXof FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a suction wheel whichcan be used in the apparatus of the present invention to producecigarettes with dense ends.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED. EMBODIMENTS The apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2comprises three conveyor means including a first conveyor means 13, asec- 0nd conveyor means 3, and a third conveyor means 22.

The conveyor means 3 is constituted by an endless belt having ahorizontal or nearly horizontal upper stringer which supplies tobacco tothe conveyor means 13. The belt 3 is mounted in a frame 1 and is trainedaround guide rollers 2 and 2a. The upper stringer of the belt 3 receivestobacco shreds in the form of a shower which is discharged by a suitabledistributor 4 of conventional construction. The thus deposited tobaccoshreds 'form on the upper stringer a continuous travelling mass 5 thethickness or cross section of which exceeds considerably the desiredcross section of the tobacco rod. The

upper stringer of the belt 3 is preferably flanked by suitable guiderails (not shown) to maintain the width of the travelling mass withindesired limits so that the cross-sectional outline of the mass 5resembles somewhat the outline of the filler rod which is to be formedon the conveyor means 13.

The conveyor means 13 is constituted by a suction wheel which isrotatable about the horizontal axis of a .driven shaft 42 and is formedwith a circumferential tobacco receiving groove 16 whose bottom wall isconstituted by an annular foraminous member 15. The wheel 13 is locatedin a vertical plane and, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises two axiallyspaced disk-shaped flanges 13a, 13b held apart by spacer members 14. Theforaminous member 15 can be constituted by a length of air-permeabletape and is clamped or otherwise secured between the flanges 13a, 1312so that its axis coincides with the axis of the shaft 42. The radiallyoutermost portions of the flanges 13a, 13b form the side walls of thegroove 16. The cross-sectional area of the groove 16 is of rectangularoutline and exceeds somewhat the cross-sectional area of the desiredfiller rod. The space within the foraminous her will cause a current ofair to flow across the adjoining part of the groove 16 and inwardlythrough the foraminous member 15. The chamber 19 discharges compressedair through the adjoining portion of the foraminous member 15 andthrough the groove 16.

' The trimming means of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises abrush-like rotary trimmer 2-0 which is adjacent to the guide roller 2for the belt 3 and is placed near the periphery of the suction wheel 13to level or equalize the exposed surface of the tobacco stream whichtravels with the groove 16 along the suction chamber 18 and on towardthe chamber 19. A portion of the tobacco mass 5 enters the lowermostpart of the groove 16 and forms therein a stream which leaves the wheel13 at the upper end thereof, i.e., the stream travels with the wheel 13through an angle of substantially 180 degrees. The filler rod which isobtained by equalizing the stream by means of the trimmer 20 is expelledfrom the groove 16 by compressed air issuing from the chamber 19,andsuch filler rod is then transferred onto the third conveyor means 22which includes a second endless belt. The filler rod advances with thehorizontal upper stringer of the'belt 22-and' is wrapped into a web orwrapper P of cigarette paper during travel through a wrapping mechanism21 which is adjacent to the belt 22. The web P is fed onto the upperstringer of the belt 22 through a gap between the upstream end turn ofthis belt and the suction wheel 13. This gap further accommodates astationary transfer member or stripper 26 which extends into the groove16 immediately downstream of the wall 17a to positively separate fromthe foraminous member 15 any such tobacco particles which failed toleave the groove 16 under the action of compressed air issuing from thechamber 19. The transfer member 26 cooperates with a second transfermember 25 here shown as an endless belt made of spring steel or the likeand trained around two pulleys so that its lower stringer engages thetobacco filler rod from above while successive increments of the fillerrod advance from ihetgggove 16 onto the tapeP on the upper stringer ofthe That portion of the tobacco mass 5 which is not retained in thegroove 16 by suction continues to travel with the belt 3. and is heldagainst the lower stringer of the belt 3 by an endless retaining belt 12trained around guide rollers 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Such tobacco is further4 confined by flanges 6, 6a which are mounted on the shafts 31, 37 ofthe guide rollers 2, 2a.

The drive means of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustratedin FIGS. 9 and 10. Such drive means includes the shaft 31 which isdirectly connected with the roller 2 and is driven by a variable-speedmotor or transmission 30. The shaft 37 of the guide roller 2a carries ahelical gear 36 which meshes with a helical gear 35 provided at one endof ashaft 34. The other end of the shaft 34 carries a helical gear33which meshes with a helical gear 32 on theshaft 31. The shaft 34 isjournalled in bearing blocks L1, L2. carried by the base plate G of theframe 1.

The base plate G carries a supporting block St for the shaft 42 of thesuction wheel 13. The shaft 42, receives motion from the shaft 31through a gear train 38, 39, 40, 41. The gear 39 is mounted on a shaft43 which is journallcd in two upstanding walls G1, G2 carried by thebase plate G. The gear 40 of the aforemen tioned gear train is mountedon a shaft 44 which is mounted in the wall G1. The shaft 42 isjournalled in the support St and in the walls G1, G2.

The trimmer 20 is driven 'by the shaft 43 which carries a helical gear45 meshing with a gear 46 on a shaft 47. The shaft 47 drives a verticalshaft 50 through a pair of mating bevel gears 48, 49, and the shaft 50drives the shaft 53 of the trimmer 20 through a further pair of bevelgears 51, 52. The shafts 47 and 50* are journalled in bearing blocks 55,56 which are mounted on the wall G2. The shaft 53 is journalled directlyin the wall G2.

The operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 9 and 10 is asfollows:

The distributor 4 showers tobacco shreds onto the upper stringer of thebelt 3 whereonsuch shreds form a mass 5 whose cross-sectional areaexceeds considerably the cross-sectional area of the filler rod. Themass 5 is conveyed toward the roller 2 by the upper stringer of the belt3. The top portion of the mass 5 is sucked into the lowermost part ofthe groove 16 in the region above the roller 2 to form therein a tobaccostream which is attracted to the foraminous member 15 by a current ofair drawn into the suction chamber 18. The lower portion of the mass 5travels around the roller 2 between the flanges 6 and is conveyed backto the region below the distributor 4. During travel with the lowerstringer of the belt 3, the remainder of the mass 5 is held from belowby theretaining belt 12.

The suction wheel 13 takes from the mass 5 such amounts of shreddedtobacco that the groove 16 is completely filled and that a portion ofthe resulting stream extends beyond the groove and into the range ofsubstantially radially extending trimming elements of the trimmer 20.This trimmer equalizes the stream in the groove 16 while such streampreferably undergoes at least some compression by the current of airflowing across the groove 16 and radially inwardly through the aperturesof the foraminous member 15. As shown in FIG. 3, the brush-like trimmer20 can be replaced by a rotary diskshaped knife or trimmer 20a which isdriven to rotate in a horizontal plane and whose cutting edge removessurplus tobacco in the region between the lowermost part of the suctionwheel 13- and the roller 2. The knife 20a is fixed to a vertical shaft59 which receives motion from the shaft 34. Regardless of the exactnature of the trimming means, such trimming means converts the tobaccostream into a filler rod of constant cross section (see FIG. 2). When anincrement of the filler rod reaches the stationary radial wall 17a whichseparates the suction chamber 18 from the chamber 19, such increment iscaused to leave the groove 16 under the influence of compressed airissuing from the chamber 19 and also by the mechanical action of thetransfer member 26 which extends into the uppermost part of the groove16. The filler rod is caused to advance onto the web P on the upperstringer of the belt 22 and is wrapped into such FIGS. 4 and 5 is that102a. The surface of the tobacco web during travel through the wrappingmechanism 21. Air issuing from the chamber 19 expels from the groove 16any such tobacco particles which remain in the groove downstream of thetransfer member 25 so that each increment of the groove which approachesthe roller 2 is completely free of tobacco particles. The member 26coperates with the member 25 to effect orderly transfer of the fillerrod onto the web P. Surplus removed by the rotary elements of thetrimmer 20 descends onto the retaining belt 12 and is added to theremainder of the mass 5. This remainder of the mass forms a reserve orcushion which circulates with the belt 3 and compensates forirregularities in the rate at which the distributor 4'showers tobaccoshreds onto the upper stringer of the belt 3. The circulating tobaccocushion also effects some mixing of tobacco particles.

The distributor 4 is adjusted in such a way that, on the average, theamount of tobacco showered onto the belt 3 equals the amount of tobaccowhich is drawn' into the groove 16 of the suction wheel 13. In otherwords,

the amount of tobacco which forms a cushion and circulates with the belt3 remains substantially constant. As a result of the manner in which aportion of the mass 5 is'transferred into the groove 16 and of theequalizing action of the trimmer 20, the filler rod which advances withthe suction wheel 13 beyond the trimmer 20 is of constant density and ofuniform cross section. Thus, cigarettes obtained by severing of thewrapped tobacco filler rod downstream of the wrapping mechanism 21 willhave the same weight.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified apparatus wherein a tobacco mass 105is formed at a level below the lower stringer of an endless belt 103corresponding substantially to the belt 3 of FIG. 1. The lower stringerof the belt 103 is trained around pairs of guide rollers 127 which arespaced' from and are mounted at a level above the lower stringer of anendless retaining belt 112 corresponding to the belt 12 of FIG. 1. Thelower stringer of the belt 103 is spaced from the lower stringer of thebelt 112 and the distributor 104 showers tobacco shreds onto the lowerstringer of the belt 112. The thus showered tobacco is deposited on topof the cushion which circulates with the belts 103, 112 and forms withthe cushion a mass 105 which is conveyed toward the lower part of thesuction wheel 113. This suction wheel has a circumferential groove 116and accommodates a suction chamber 118.

An important advantage of the apparatus shown in the shreds arethoroughly mixed and that each shred leaves the belts 103, 112 not laterthan after having completed a full cycle in the path defined by thebelts 103, 112. The same holds true for surplus tobacco which is removedby a rotary trimmer 120. This trimmer removes the surplus from thestream which is drawn into the groove 116 by the air current producedby' suction chamber 118. The surplus drops into the space between thebelts 103, 112 and advances with the cushion toward the distributor 104.The manner in which the filler rod is transferred from the suction wheel113 onto the upper stringer of the belt which cooperates with thewrapping mechanism is the same as described in connection with FIGS. 1and 2. .-The belt 112 is trained around flanges 129 which are concentricwith guide rollers 127 for the belt 103 and around flanges 106a whichare concentric with the roller stream in the groove 116 of the suctionwheel 113 is trimmed immediately after such stream enters the groovebecause the orbiting trimming elements of the trimmer 120 are closelyadjacent to the guide roller 102.

It is often desirable to subject the tobacco stream in the groove 116 toat least some mechanical compression. Such mechanical compression can becarried out at the point where the tobacco stream enters the groove 16or 116, for example, by reducing the gap between the pcriphery of thesuction wheel 13 or 113 and the upper stringer of the belt 3 or 103 insuch a way that the stream which is separated from the mass 5 or 105necessarily undergoes mechanical compression which is produced by thebelt 3 or 103 and the foraminous member which forms the bottom wall ofthe groove 16 or 11 6. Furthermore, the stream in the groove 16 or 116can be compacted by pneumatic means, i.e., by regulating suction in thechamber 18 or 118 in such a way that the currents of air flowing acrossthe groove 16 or 116 and through the foraminous member will eflectnecessary compression of the tobacco stream. If the suction in chamber18 or 118 is varied intermittently, the tobacco stream in the groove 16or 116 will comprise denser portions which alternate with less denseportions. Dense portions will be formed by such sections of the streamin the groove 16 or 116 which are located between the wheel 13 or 113and the roller 2 or 102 when the suction in chamber 18 or 118 isincreased. By resorting to such method, one can obtain cigaretteswherein the ends of the tobacco filler are denser than the intermediatepart of the filler. The trimmer of FIG. 4 is adjacent to a portion ofthe groove 116 which accommodates strongly compacted tobacco when thesuction in chamber 118 increases. It is also possible to provide aseparate suction chamber opposite the trimmer 120 and to use the suctionchamber 118 solely as a means to hold the filler rod in the groove 116during travel toward the upper part of the Wheel 113. Suction in theseparate suction chamber is then increased at regular intervals tocompact such portions of the tobacco stream which are to form the endsof fillers in finished cigarettes.

Cigarettes with dense filler ends can in another way be obtained byresorting to the structure which is shown in FIG. 11. The inner sides ofthe flanges 13a, 13b are formed with registering recesses so that thewidth of the groove which surrounds the foraminous member 15 varies atregular intervals, as seen in the circumferential direction of thesuction wheel 13. The enlarged portions of the groove will receive moretobacco and the filler rod leaving the suction wheel 13 will compriseportions of greater cross section alternating with portions of smallercross section. In the wrapping mechanism 21 (FIG. 1), the filler rod iscompressed to form with the web P a wrapped cigarette rod of constantcross section whereby the density of the filler in such cigarette rodvaries. If the cigarette rod is severed across the denser portion of itsfiller, the filler of each cigarette will have at least one dense end toreduce the likelihood of tobacco fallout.

As shown in FIG. 6, the suction wheel 13 can cooperate with a mechanicalcompacting member 21:: which compacts tobacco in the groove 16. Themember 21 is constituted by a roller which enters the groove 16 and thedistance a between the axis of the roller 21a and the axis of thesuction wheel 13 may be varied to select the desired compacting actionfor a given tobacco stream.

FIG. 7 illustrates that the roller-shaped compacting member 21:: of FIG.6 may be replaced with a stationary compacting member 22a whichresembles a runner and extends into the groove 16 to compact the tobaccostream by pressing it against the foraminous member 15. The main portionof the compacting member 22a is substantially parallel to the adjoiningportion of the foraminous member 15. This member 22a may be adjusted ina direction toward or away from the axis of the suction wheel 13.

Referring finally to FIG. 8, there is shown an additional trimmer 23which is rotatable about a horizontal axis and comprises substantiallyradially arranged trimming elements which extend into the groove 16 tosubject a coarsely trimmed tobacco stream to a second trimming orequalizing action. The trimmer 23 may be constituted by a brush or thelike and reduces the height H of the coarsely trimmed stream to a heighth which is the height of the filler rod. For example, the trimmer 23 canbe disposed downstream of the trimmer 20 of -FIG. 1 or '1 7 downstreamof the trimmer 20ashown in FIG. 3. The trimmer 20a removes all suchsurplus which extends beyond the groove 16 so as to form a coarselytrimmed stream having a height H, and the trimmer 23 thereupon removesthe remaining surplus by reducing the height of the travelling tobaccobody from H to h. In other words, the trimmer 20 or 20a can be said toconstitute a coarse trimmer and the trimmer 23 of FIG. 8 is a second orfine trimmer. The distance b between the axes of the specific aspects ofmy contribution to the art.

. What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patentis set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. Apparatus for producing a wrapped tobacco rod, comprisingfirst conveyor means having a tobacco receiving groove, a foraminousmember constituting the bottom wall of said groove, and a suctionchamber adjacent to said foraminous member opposite said groove to drawa current of air across vsaid groove and through said foraminous member;second conveyor means for supplying to said groove a continuous tobaccostream each unit length of which contains a surplus of tobacco over thatin a unit length of the tobacco rod; a first trimmer adjacent to saidgroove for bodily removing some of said surplus from the tobacco stream;a second trimmer adjacent to said groove downstream of saidfirst trimmerfor bodily removing the remainder of said surplus from the stream sothat the thus trimmed stream forms a continuous filler rod; thirdconveyor means for receiving said filler rod from said first conveyormeans; and means for applying a wrapper to the filler rod after thefiller rod leaves said first conveyor means.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said 3 second trimmerextends into said groove.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first conveyor meanscomprises a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis and said groove isprovided in the circumference of said wheel.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said wheel comprises anuppermost portion and a lowermost portion, wherein said tobacco streamenters said groove in the region of one of said portions, and whereinsaid filler rod leaves said groove in the region of the other portion ofsaid wheel.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said second andthird conveyor means comprises an endless belt having a substantiallyhorizontal upper stringer respectively arranged to supply the tobaccostream to and to receive the filler rod from said groove.

6. Apparatus as set forth inclaim 1, wherein one of said trimmerscomprises a rotary 'body having a predetermined axis of rotation and aplurality of tobacco removing elements extending substantially radiallyof and outwardly from said rotary body.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim- 1, wherein said suction chamberextends substantially to the region where the filler rod leaves thegroove of said first conveyor means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising mechanicalcompacting means for the tobacco stream in said groove.

9. Apparatus for producing a Wrapped tobacco rod, comprising firstconveyor means having a tobacco receiving groove, a foraminous memberconstituting the bottom wall of said groove, and a suction chamberadjacent to said foraminous member opposite said groove to draw acurrent of airacross said groove and through said foraminous member;means for supplying to said groove a tobacco stream which contains asurplus of tobacco over that in the tobacco rod; mechanical compactingmeans for compacting the stream in said groove; trimmer means for bodilyremoving the surplus from the compacted tobacco stream in said groove sothat the trimmed stream forms a filler rod; second conveyor means forreceiving the filler rod from said first conveyor means; and means forapplying a wrapper to the filler rod after the filler rod leaves saidfirst conveyor means.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said trimmer meanscomprises a plurality of trimmers arranged to remove said surplus insuccessive. stages.

References Cited 1/ 1957 Germany. 511,013

8/ 1939 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 1 31-84

